#...fucking matrix did it first didn't it

[fantastic-mr-corvid]

Realised in this post it might have seemed weird to say Muro was miserable being a man even if it was closer to his genderqueer identity than being a woman. But that's bc trying to pass to be accepted by cis people is fucking miserable 👍

Even Cecio, who is a trans man and very happy to be seen as a man and gets a kick out of being seen as a cis man feels shit about his need to pass for his own safety and how it restricts him. He has to act in a certain way, he can't be in community with trans people, he can't date or have sex because if people found out he was trans then everything could come falling down. He's so good at being manipulative and being who people want him to be because he's spent every second since he transitioned trying to be exactly what people want him to be.

Both of them spend so much time acting how people expect men to act in an attempt to keep themselves safer that they have to hide their trans identity, cut off and hide that part of them.

Its why it's important to me that Rametta doesn't hide that shes trans, doesn't hide such an integral part of her identity, and says she will be seen as a woman because she says she is, not by proving it to other people by her actions and 'earning' the right to call herself one.

[wlntrsldler]

bad for business | luke castellan

warnings: loser!luke agenda is strong with this one, insecure!luke because of reader's judgmental siblings but they get over it later on, suggestive content but nothing explicit, luke being happy and in love (we need more of this; i'm pointing the finger at myself, i need to write happy luke fics) aphrodite!reader x luke, in an alternate universe where the betrayal didn't happen

based on bad for business by sabrina carpenter

i. he's good for my heart, but he's bad for business.

"she's probably going to dump him soon, anyway."

"she's just doing it for the tradition, obviously."

"she's too good for him."

sometimes luke just wanted to tell them to shut up, but he's already on thin ice with-- well, everyone at camp. they weren't a fan of the smell of cigarettes that lingered on his clothes, or the ugly scar on his face (this, wasn't his fault though. if anything, they should hate his fucking dad for giving him the quest in the first place), or the fact that he's somehow dating the most popular, gorgeous, and brilliant girl at camp.

you, y/n y/l/n, the favorite daughter of aphrodite. at first luke thought that you'd be just like the rest of the aphrodite girls (he's not one to perpetuate stereotypes, being the victim of it all his life, but the aphrodite kids always turned their noses up at him so he didn't feel too bad dishing it out), but then you smiled at him with your pretty, pink lips and luke knew he was a goner. he didn't stand a chance (not like he fought it too hard anyway)

you made an effort to remember his name, say hello to him when you passed by him, and you even went as far as asking him for his opinion on things.

"what do you think of this strategy, luke?" you asked, staring at him directly. the entire blue team was arguing loudly (luke thought their strategy fucking sucked and was a sure way for the ares cabin to, once again, demolish all of you, but he was going to keep that to himself) before your soft voice broke the noise. everyone stopped in their tracks because why the hell were you talking to him? asking him for his opinion?

he blinked, even looking behind him in case there was some other kid named luke that he didn't know about. when he finally realized that you were talking to him, he managed to stutter out that the plan was fine. you looked at him skeptically, penetrating the persona he put up with everyone, but decided not to push him anymore and simply nodded.

when the red team, led by the ares cabin, of course, handed your asses to you on a silver platter, you found luke at dinner and sat directly in front of him. chris, who was just as starstruck as luke that you were sitting with them, immediately scrambled off his seat and mumbled some half-hearted excuse to leave the two of you alone.

"so, spill," you said, planting your tray of food on the table. "what did you really think of the strategy?"

your conversation went from strategy to your life to his life to everything and anything until you two were the last two people left. he was glad when people finally got tired of gawking at you and him. (many in disbelief, all in jealousy that you decided to sit with him) you didn't seem to mind the stares, though, luke figured it was because you were used to it. it was hard not to stare at you.

luke thought that dinner was just a glitch in the matrix, that it was just some weird anomaly that would never happen again. he was just thankful that it happened; but then the next day, your perfectly manicured hand knocked on the hermes cabin door and you stood in front of luke with a timid smile on your face to ask him to train you in sword fighting.

luke got dressed at record speed. chris woke up after the third time luke hit his head under his bed when he was trying to find a semi-decent shirt to wear to your sparring session (maybe one that didn't smell too much like cigarettes). chris sat up on his bed, eyebrow quirked, with a teasing smile on his face.

as luke was racing out the door, he looked at chris, "don't start.''

chris threw his head back laughing, "i didn't say anything."

luke threw a pillow at chris with an oomph before rushing out to meet you.

the training sessions slowly morphed into sitting next to each other daily during meals, then into hanging out at campfires, until it got to the point when there wouldn't be a second of free time where the two of you wouldn't be together. luke could feel your siblings shooting daggers at him whenever he was alone, like a warning to stay away from you, but it's not like he was the one initiating things.

sure, he would follow you around the ends of the world if you asked (or even if you didn't, let's be honest here) but luke didn't want to test his luck so he just went with the flow. sometimes, he just wanted to talk to your siblings to set the record straight.

"look, i'm just as fucking confused as you are," he would say, "i don't know why she's hanging out with me either."

as much as he enjoyed your moments together, a piece of him still worried that you were just being nice. maybe you were this way with everyone. maybe he just likes you so much that he's making up these scenarios in his head.

he tried to talk to chris about it, but that proved to be the wrong decision because it's not like the boy had any experience either; he was pining over clarisse. the blind leading the blind, truly.

and then one day, while you and luke were sitting beside the water, after a long day of training, you looked over at him with an unreadable expression.

panicked, luke immediately straightened his back and twisted his body to face you. he wanted to reach for your hand to comfort you, but decided against it. he didn't want to make you uncomfortable. he cleared his throat, "what's wrong?"

"why haven't you asked me out?"

you would've thought percy summoned a cold wave to crash into luke with the way he was sitting there frozen. luke was looking at you blankly, like his brain was short-circuiting. it was a habit of his to blink and tilt his head to the side whenever he was shocked.

"huh?"

you were frowning now, "do you not like me? i'm sorry, i guess i was just reading the situation wrong."

"woah, pause," luke leaned in closer, inspecting your face to see if there was a punchline about to drop like it was a gotcha! moment and all of your siblings would come out from behind the trees to laugh at him. he found no sign of such a thing. "do you like me?"

"luke, i've been so obvious," there was a hint of embarrassment in your voice and luke wanted to kiss it away. your cheeks were dusted with the lightest shade of red as you chewed on your bottom lip. "i thought maybe you liked me too, but i guess it was all in my head. i'm sorry-- forget i even said anything."

"yeah, i don't want to forget it," luke shook his head, now stumbling over his words. his brain was working again, sort of. "i like you, too. like really like you. sorry, you just caught me off guard for a sec."

"you do?"

"gods, i really really do."

you beamed at him and luke was so thankful that he was sitting because his knees would've buckled at your reaction and humiliated himself by falling face-first in the water if he was standing. he was especially thankful that he was sitting when you climbed onto his lap to make out with him until both of your lips were bruised.

ii. i'm mad for you, it's sad but true, and you know it. you're on my mind, you stole my life and it's showing.

word traveled fast after that. when you walked into breakfast with luke's arm around your waist, the whispers started. luke thought the staring before was bad, but this was on a new level. he felt the other aphrodite kids following his every move, poison in their eyes.

when you sat next to luke, impossibly close to him, chris' eyebrows rose in glee. he motioned to the both of you with his spoon, flicking drops of milk with the motion, "what's going on here?"

"i'm luke's girlfriend now."

luke nearly choked on the apple he was eating when he heard the words leave your lips. yes, he knew that you were dating now (his pathetically hoarse voice saying, "will you be my girlfriend?" after the hours-long makeout session the night before haunted his dreams last night; he wanted to keep his cool so bad, but it just wasn't possible when you were sitting on his lap, all pretty with your thighs on either side of his, lips glossy with his saliva instead of your typical lipgloss), but it was the first time he heard you refer to yourself as his girlfriend. his girlfriend.

"nice," chris raised his hand up for a high-five, which luke was about to complete, but chris pulled his hand away, "not for you, dude."

you giggled and high-fived chris, making luke look between the two of you in bewilderment.

"what the fuck was that?" luke asked. when did you and chris get close?

"this is embarrassing," you started, looking down at your plate of food. you were dragging your spoon across the blob of oatmeal, "but i talked to chris about you last week because i was so sad that you haven't made a move yet. i just wanted to hear his opinion on things in case i was just being stupid."

"why didn't you tell me this?"

"i tried!" chris argued, laughing a bit when luke's face turned red, "plus, i didn't want to tell you that me and y/n had a conversation because i had faith that you'd make a move! i obviously bet on the wrong horse, though, because y/n made the move."

"oh my gods, i'm a loser." luke groaned, tossing the apple on his tray. he lost his appetite. "you mean we could've been together this entire time?"

you placed a hand on his thigh, making him turn his attention to you. you gave him a comforting smile that he quickly reciprocated. you gave his thigh a soft squeeze, "it's okay, luke. we can make up for lost time."

luke smirked at you, "tonight?"

"dude, i'm trying to fucking eat."

luke threw up the middle finger to chris' face before connecting your lips.

to luke's surprise, your relationship didn't really change much after putting a label on it. (the changes that did occur were that now he can kiss you freely, which he was thankful for, and that you were even more touchy with him, which he was extremely thankful for because he loved having you next to him at all times. he was so smitten with you.) he realized then how blind he'd been the entire time because you were so very obvious about your feelings for him, he was just too stuck in his own head to notice it.

he started being outwardly affectionate with you, gaining more confidence while he was on your arm. his favorite thing to do was to wrap his arms around your torso and bury his face into the crook of your neck. he loved hearing you erupt in giggles when his curls tickled your skin. he was drunk on you and you didn't mind one bit.

you even said that you were more attached to him than he was to you (he looked at you like you had three heads because it couldn't have been further from the truth.)

he took you on little picnic dates and made you jewelry that you wore proudly, and you wore his clothes (he would be lying if he said that his heart didn't skip a beat when you walked out of the aphrodite cabin sporting his hermes sweater) but above all, luke loved the way he could talk to you about everything. he told you about his mom, his dad, his doubts and his insecurities, and you listened. you would sit there, hands in his hair, while he laid on your chest. he didn't know the last time he felt safe, but with you, he always did.

iii. all of my friends think i've gone crazy, but they don't know me like my baby.

luke tried to ignore the fact that there were running bets from campers about how long you two would last, but it was getting to him. he'd heard it all; a week, two weeks, three months. he fought the urge to roll his eyes when he heard the jingling of drachmas being passed around when you and him were seen together after someone lost their bet.

it's been two months but people still believed that you two were going to break up soon. the idea of it made luke feel sick. he couldn't imagine a life without being yours anymore. truth be told, he was wholly yours the minute he met you, but after every kiss, every hug, every second with you, he was just falling deeper in love with you.

it was a little scary.

"hiya, baby," you greeted him, wrapping your arms around his broad shoulders.

you started calling him the pet name a few days into dating and luke actually whimpered when you did it the first time. you loved getting these reactions from luke and his little sounds (both innocent and not-so-innocent) only spurred you on. when he's with you, luke turned into this mush, always wanting to be held by you or touching you in some way.

"hi," he mumbled, leaning up to place a quick kiss on your lips.

you hummed happily before resting your hands on his back, "baby, you're tense. are you okay?"

"yeah," luke replied, but his furrowed eyebrows said differently.

"no you're not," you walked in front of him, wrapping your arms around his torso, "what's going on?"

luke sighed, "everyone thinks we're gonna break up-- or more specifically, everyone thinks you're gonna break up with me."

"do you believe that i'll break up with you?" you frowned, loosening your hold on him. "did i do something that made you think that?"

"no, no," he said, quickly. he pulled you closer to him, not wanting you to let go of him. "i just-- i dunno. everyone says i'm not good enough for you, and i know i'm not, and it's getting to my head a little bit."

you looked up at him, removing your hands from around him to reach for his face. you brought his face down closer to yours to pepper kisses all over it; his cheeks, his lips, his scar, his jaw. "i think you're perfect."

"you have to say that 'cause you're my girlfriend," he playfully rolled his eyes, but he couldn't stop a goofy smile from forming on his face due to your kisses.

"yeah, i am your girlfriend," you reminded him, placing a longer kiss on his lips now. your lips moved together, making luke's hands wander to your lower back to push you closer to him. you pulled away, breathless, "listen to your girlfriend, baby. i'm not going anywhere so don't worry your pretty little head about it."

there were still moments when the voices of the other campers bounced around in luke's head, but you were always there to quiet them with your reassurance and your love for him.

eventually, people stopped talking about you and luke and accepted that you two weren't breaking up anytime soon (they were about six months too late, in luke's opinion). he even managed to win over your siblings later on (kind of; they still don't talk to him unless they have to but they smile at him now, but luke isn't picky; a win is a win)

luke was happy and in love and it was all thanks to you.

[margoshamangolord]

I'm reading Exodus right now and a detail that i cannot get over is the fact that Optimus had to fight the major part of the war before he got the Matrix. Like, yeah, he got renamed alright, but his career path was straight up "some guy —> the goddamn prime", and while he got a new name during the council meeting, he literally stayed the same. fucking. guy

He had to make decisions for a whole planet without the Matrix, he ended someone's life for the first time without the Matrix, and while he had smart talented friends to help, he did this all right after being Some Guy his whole life. He didn't flinch or break down, knowing what war means and understanding that he's responsible for a whole planet's future. All that without the collective wisdom of the Primes or emotional block or whatever, while logically and technically still being Orion Pax.

In the end of the first season of TFP, he forgets all his time as Optimus Prime, but i never understood why did he forget the war he fought as a Prime, but without the Matrix too. It seemed like a logical mistake to me; he didn't remember the council meeting, or the war's beginning, it's unclear what was the last thing he remembers, but i started to imagine how different things would go if he correctly remembered everything right until the moment he got the Matrix. If he remembered the council meeting, their quarrel, the beginning of the war and major fights. He asks if he's worthy, he doesn't remember the whole goddamn war he carried on his shoulders without the Matrix.

The literal first thing he uses his new power and respect for is to stop the council from shooting Megatron, and when Megatron asks what he would do if he didn't ask his army to not shoot Optimus, he replies that he would rather die for his planet.

He may have been unsure of himself, he may have doubted that he can be a Prime, he may not have saw in himself what others did, he may have stayed in the Archive to do archivist work, but the council meeting speech shows us that he is truly full of emotion and fire for his planet and that he is ready to work towards peace.

He is fierceful and kind, strong and gentle, there's so much to him it's insane! I have a lot more moments that fascinate me, but I don't think they'll fit into this post.

He is fucking worthy. This guy is insanely mentally strong even without it, this is why Alpha Trion noticed him, this is why he was chosen. He was just a regular worker one moment, and then he got the whole Cybertron's weight a moment later, and he fucking carried it instead of dropping.

Orion Pax really should be respected.

[tinydefector]

Ok ok i thought about this and for me it's sounds funny.

Sooo on the comic where everyone just found out that Rung is god you know where Rodimus, Rachet, Whirl and Tyrest and others having existing crisis and the part where Whirl said "God was my therapist" and then I thought about it, how funny it would be if cybertronian or human MC/reader said something like "I was fuck by said God" like if said cybertronian/human was in relationship with Rung and everyone reaction (plus Tyrest too since I think he's a god fanatic) 😂😂😂😂

XD omg so I had a bit of a joke piece about fucking God over in this fic. But it gets even better that thought of Tyrest being a God fanatic and hating Organics. The horror when he finds out Primus is with a human, watch this mech just break down.

Everyone's optics and eyes are on Rung, and the mech stands there wishing attention wasn't on him. Rodimus paces back and forth, Ratchet just stares off into a wall wish above all he wasn't here right now. Whirl, for the first time, is so quiet that it makes everyone so uncomfortable. And then there was the human just looking up at Rung in shock, dismay? They really didn't know how they felt in that moment.

Rodimus finally speaks. "OK, ok, but how the Frag!, Your Primus! All this time, you have just been what? Hiding on cybertron, having a vacation!" He asked. He was bitter about this, as much as he wanted to blame Rung for everything, cybertron falling apart, his home, and the matrix in truth it wasn't his fault. After all wasn't he doing the exact same thing, running away because he didn't want to be a prime, he wasn't suited for it, he didn't want to live in Optimus' shadow and have that shame over him. He'd take being co captain with Megatron over having to be in Optimus' shadow any cycle.

Ratchet, on the other hand, just wants a strong drink. He had never been a believe in gods, yet here he was finding out the the mech who had been the Lost Light's therapist, had been a neutral throughout the war, had a space ship collection older then some mechs was Primus. It was just his luck. "Does anyone else know?" He asked, trying to be the level-headed one of the group.

Rung removes his glasses, and the stress and exhaustion are very visible on his faceplate. "Drift, I believe, he's, he's always suspected something," Rung explains. He wasn't sure, but he's rather sure that Drift knows what he is.

Whirl finally laughs. "This is Fragged. How in the Pit did I end up this fragging, unlucky that my slagging therapist is Fragging Primus!" They shout, they don't know if they are angry, hurt or just overwhelmed, so much had been fried in their circuitry after the Emputra but this, this felt like a sick joke. All the things he had told Rung now feel like they were confessions.

Tyrest is baffled. He doesn't know whether to fall to his knees or call blasphemy, but the evidence is right there in front of his optics.

Rung is sheepish as he looks to the human. He's hoping they don't hate him. "I know this is alot for you all to take in, I'm sorry you all had to find out this way, I'm sincerely sorry for everything that has happened" He calls out to the group. He goes to continue only to be cut off.

"Fuck my life, Swerve is never going to let me live this down" the human stammers out. Everyone's optics are on them, a flush tints Rungs plating. "Please we don't need to bring that-" He's cut off again.

"The fact that I've unknowingly been getting Railed by Primus!" They exclaim only for Rung to hide behind one of his servos as multiple mech's Jaws drop at those words.

"HAH, and i thought I was Fragged!" Whirl screeched, finding humour in the situation. The other mechs look just as shocked and disgusted. "No, I refuse. That's blasphemy. Please tell me you haven't been interfacing with an organic!" Tyrest almost pleaded, hoping by the all spark that it wasn't true.

Rodimus pinches his brow ridge. He could feel his processor hurting from all this information. "Slagging Pit," he grumbles. " I Owe Sunstreaker so much Shainx now," he huffs. "OK, ok. Rung's Primus, and he's fragging a human." He throws his servos up in the air, being overly dramatic.

Ratchet just glares at the two. "They both of you are to report to medical for an examination after this, You" he points right at Rung. " I have some rather choice words for you," he states before stalking off, leaving.

The human looks at the floor, and the true panic is taking over. "Oh fuck, I've been fucking an Alien God who's also my therapist" they mutter to themself, tears starting to well up in their eyes and Rung kneels down cupping their face and wiping the tears away. "I didn't mean to upset you," he says softly. Optics focused on them. " I don't want this to change anything between us. You mean a great deal to me, and I don't want to lose you," he murmurs to them, pressing a soft kiss to their forehead.

The sound of the others arguing and fighting drowns out as Rung focuses on his little lover. "I'm not angry, Rung, Primus, or whatever name you want to go by, but... but I'm a human, a random fucking human so why me. Why me? " they nearly sob as he scoops them up, pulling them against his frame.

"My dear, I'm the the holy being everyone believes I am, I'm just a very old mech, who did what he could to stop something bad from happening, alot fo the tales told are very twisted stories. I'm just a mech, I'm not some holy being. And as for why you. You were the first person to remember my name, you took an interest in my hobbies, I would have happily faded into dust unknown but you choose me" he coos softly. Digits tracing their cheeks as he looks at them in pure love.

"But an Organic!" Tyrest hisses out as he watches how sweet and tender Rung is with the human. Is Rodimus who speaks up next. "Ah ah, remember each time to talk badly about organic races you lose Shanix which goes right into my account!~" Rodimus sings out, trying to make light of the situation for his own mental stability.

"You two are fragged and Slag, and I thought I had issues!" Whirl huffs before pointing at Rung. "Not a word about our therapy session to anyone, God or not, I will end you." Whirl nearly snarls before transforming and taking off.

"But you are Primus! You could have your choice of any cybertronian, pillars in your name cities, why have you hidden for so long!" Tyrest utters, he wants to be angry, but at the same time, this was Primus. How could he.

Rung meets his optics. "Because that's not the type of mech I am, I did what I had to to stop Unicron, I got sick of people trying to put me on a pedestal, I wanted to live, live my life, to enjoy hobbies, travel, I gave up my old frame for the ability to live" he states. He wouldn't change his choices even if he had the ability to. He was content.

________

MC: "Swerve get me a strong drink!"

Swerve: "heya what got you so rilled up, partner problems? Give me all the juicy details."

MC: staring him dead in the optics. "Swerve, Rung is Primus"

Swerve: "Well, I wouldn't call him that, I mean, he must be a good frag but doubt that"

MC: "No Swerve, Rung is Primus, I've been fucking your God, why me, how did I get to this point"

Swerve: "you know what let me get you a double"

--

Rung: "this is a mess, I need to get myself a Therapist"

Swerve: "well doc tell me all your woos, I'm the closest your gonna get for therapy"

Rung: " ships having a meltdown over my past and the fact I'm with a human"

Swerve: " eh, heard worse, your squishy things your Primus"

Rung: " yes, well that's also part of the issue"

---

Whirl: "soo.... Rung huh?"

Mc: "Please, I don't want to talk about it"

Whirl: "What part, the part where you're fragging the ships Therapist or the part where your Fragging Primus."

MC: "Oh my fucking God Whirl!"

Whirl: "Ah, ah, your fucking my God not the other way round!"

---

MC: "fuck you Tyrest, you owe Rodimus more money now, from being a Xenophobe."

Tyrest: "Like, I would ever let you within five meters of my frame you disgusting little creatin. Your insults mean nothing to me. Filthy little flesh thing"

MC: " just remember it's your Beloved Primus who's fragging me!, yea!, your beloved God prefers fragging me!"

Tyrest: *the most horrified noise ever* " You take the Blastphamy Back!"

__________

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[charmedreincarnation]

Hey, guys! I've been receiving a ton of messages in response to my last post. It's reminding me of how I first discovered shifting. I feel like doing a little story time since Ive just passed the three-year mark of my discovery, and I've been reminiscing with friends about it.

I remember being in a very dark place when I stumbled upon shifting. I was depressed, and very suicidal. Yet, there was this unshakeable optimism inside me that I was meant for an extraordinary life. Despite my mental state, I had a lot of knowledge of subliminals and the law of attraction (-_-). These gave me hope, but they weren't enough tbh. I didn't want to attract my dream life through practicing gratitude or becoming a magnet for my desires or whatever. Nor did I want to have to listen to subliminals for years on end to achieve my goals. My list of desires was so long, and I needed everything to change that going step by step and waiting years for each one to manifest just wasn't feasible.

But I refused to give up. One day, after a particularly hard day of being sad per usual, I searched on Quora for something like "fastest most powerful subliminals on YouTube ever" (Y’all 😭😭). Among the recommended sub creators, I found a video called "Desired Life: Reality Shifting". The description promised everything I had ever wanted: waking up with all your desires fulfilled permanently in short. It piqued my curiosity so much. Could I really just wake up with my dream life, family, house, wealth, all based on my scripts and imagination?

Growing up, I was a heavy maladaptive daydreamer. From ages 10-17, I created alternate lives in my head, telling myself I would go there someday. I was always doing SATs (State Akin to Sleep), and I think that's what kept me from ending it all. I was constantly in the wish fulfilled state, even though I didn't know what that was at the time.

Back to my story, I went into the comments of that video and came across a guy who claimed that after a week of using this subliminal, he woke up with a new life as a multi-millionaire living in his dream penthouse. I messaged him, and he gave me his Instagram which showcased his luxurious life. He had what seemed like a perfect relationship, he was very attractive, had so many cars, and travelled 24/7 while having a six figures amount of followers. He was living proof that this wasn't just scripting. Also the law of attraction community is known for their mad expensive coaching.. like hundreds of dollars per hour for questions and he was answering it all for free something I didn’t see the law of attraction community. And I talked to him for hours! He never got mad, he had proof, and he was kind, proof and the behavior of someone who really had mastered the art of life.

After our conversation, I spent the next couple of months doing research. I found numerous stories about glitches in the matrix, accidental shifting, people entering parallel realities, and eventually, shifting communities on platforms like Amino and Reddit. It was stuff I already believed in and did in my imagination; I just didn’t know there was a term for it.

Then I got reminded of a memory that I had seriously repressed bc it was so fucking weird. When I was 6 and my brother was 3, we were absolutely obsessed with dodo birds. One day, we were outside playing, and on god time seemed to stop. Out of nowhere, a dodo bird appeared. I know you’re probably like “maya be so fr rn you were a kid” but no, This wasn't just our young imaginations running wild - there was a bird that was huge, dinosaur-like, exactly how dodos are described in books and pictures we had.

Then things got weirder. Suddenly it started raining eggs. Big, large eggs everywhere it was so gross and my brother and I were a mess. We were young, sure, but not stupid. We knew this wasn't normal. My brother and I rushed inside to tell our dad. When I managed to drag him outside, he was furious, accusing me of throwing eggs everywhere. To this day, he tells the story of the time I "trashed the backyard with eggs." And every time, I'm like, "Dad, where would I get that many eggs?" We didn’t have eggs but so he assumed I stole them and we went inside for hours and it was magically cleaned. So he also tells the story of how responsible I am and how I took accountability for my actions even as a child. I didn’t clean that shit bro and I tell him that too and he just laughs it makes me so mad.

My brother, who knows I'm into reality shifting (though he doesn’t really believe in it), can't explain that day either. He often shrugs it off as a "glitch in the matrix," which honestly, well no duh it is a shift dummie. He does believe in manifesting but only bc he has seen me use it and he experiences the good things I manifest as well. They’re the same thing anyways but that isn’t the point

The reason I'm bringing up this bizarre childhood memory is because during my months of research into shifting, I found countless stories of accidental shifts, people entering the void, entering parallel universes, time glitches, examples of the Mandela effect first hand, glitches in the matrix and etc. It was like uncovering a myriad of experiences that confirmed what I already believed: we can change and choose our reality. I just didn’t know the phenomena had a name. Obviously in the future I came across other things like the law of assumption, the void state, etc etc but this was where it started.

I wish I had saved all those fascinating stories, posts, and blogs. I might go back and compile everything I found because they were so real and enlightening. It will probably take forever tho if I do choose to do that, but I think it's worth sharing.

In the meantime, check out this accounts of accidental shifts that my friend shared with me this account https://instagram.com/tessicavision?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA== based off the Glitch in the Matrix subreddit which is also a goldmine of people experiencing similar phenomena. It helped me make sense of my own experiences and might do the same for you.

I don’t want this to be too long and I already got to the point I think! but regardless stay curious and realize you’re really not that special. I mean ofc you are, i mean this is not some tumblr thing teens girls discovered or created and isn’t even limited to “spiritually/manifesting inclined people” I think at the beginning of my journey people talking about accidental shifts and such, inspired me more than purposeful success stories because they really have no reason to lie and they were looking for answers just like I was.

[kaeso4ka]

You and Ratchet want to help Optimus… Ratchet wants to help. You will help.

Pairing: yandere Optimus Prime x reader

“Okay, and now again, very slowly, the same information,” you held your hand out in front of you, clearly showing how Ratchet should speak.

“Don't act like you didn't understand what I told you,” Ratchet looked genuinely tired, ”you got it right the first time.”

“Yeah. Except I realized that, uh,” you hesitated, ”Prime has gone into animal heat?”

Ratchet slammed the table next to you. You smiled in response. Such a blow could have killed you for sure, but Ratchet wasn't aiming at you.

“Only organic animals have leaks. Optimus needs to release energy from the Matrix and Spark. It's called a cycle.”

“Menstrual?” you chuckled under the medic's frown. “Let him release whatever he wants. I can't help it.”

“Just that you're the only one who can. It's your fault Optimus' cycle started. Before you, millions of years of war, it never happened.”

“Because Prime was in danger, dealing with the war, and didn't want to fuck me over on every surface. I know, I know.”

“Don't pretend you don't like that.”

You sighed picturesquely.

“I like it, but even for me it's overkill. Optimus has been acting like a March cat for the last week. I can't spread my legs for him every minute either.”

“That's all you're doing.”

“You're right,” you pondered.

Optimus had really started acting strange since a week ago. The mech had always responded openly and willingly to any of your caresses, but here it was like he'd gone off the chain, literally pressing himself against any comfortable surface... And he was hot as hell. Literally.

At first you resisted for the sake of decent resistance, then you responded enthusiastically... And after that you were even a little scared of the stranger's pressure.

She managed to get out of Optimus' platform only when he was knocked offline. When you weren't having sex, all you did was eat, sometimes sleep, and go to the bathroom.

“Okay. What do I need to do?” getting Optimus back to his senses was something you wanted to do as soon as possible.

“Keep having sex with him.”

“I've been at this for a week...”

“If you were a Cybertronian, a couple of fusions would be enough to complete Optimus' cycle. But since you're a squirrel, the only way to complete the cycle is to reboot. A lot of reboots.��

“Let him jerk off...”

“The strength of the reboot is directly related to the attraction to the object you're connecting with. Who do you think Prime appreciates more: his palm or you?”

You nodded understandingly. There was nothing to say.

“Fine. I'll help him, I can't help it. It's for you, Ratchet.”

Ratchet ventilated heavily. His actives were going to be very difficult.

“Get going already. And don't come back without an adequate Optimus.”

[pioussoup]

ILLITERATE MINERS?!!?!!

heyyyyy so y'know in the opening scene isn't it INTERESTING that Orion Pax ONLY takes the audiovisual chips??? Like he barely looked at the datapads and even then it didn't seemed like he was reading titles just looking between for the chips. EVEN THOUGH HE KNOWS HE HAS TO BE SNEAKY AND QUIET???? sure maybe MAYBE the flying droid is like a new addition but STILL.

Why go for the ONE material that would be so harddd to be stealthy in? He also has watched like apparently 90% of the fucking chips already.

If you say it's because hes in low light. Hes a miner bot that can spot the lasers. Yes he uses a headlight but like c'mon he got to have SOME stronger nightvision-thats-not-outright-nightvision. (just realised; he knows to be sneaky enough to NOT activate his headlight even when it could help look around. So he's not being stupid he KNOWS what hes doing.)

'Maybe he's read all of them?' in the history section? with a 50 cycles timeframe (however the fuck long is that supposed to be LMAO)? thats he quite most likely is online for a fraction of. Even if he was one of the first generations of cogless bots to be miners (doubt) there would STILL need to be time taken for him to be 'fuck it im just gonna break in the archives.' plus he also had to find the section in the first place. Sentinel definitelyyy placed/moved it in a hard to find & reach area even for bots with legal access and cogs. Orion Pax is many things but for TFO he aint clearing that section in time (TFP might though lol).

'It's to set a fast paced opening and provide a suitable setting for exposition without having to resort to narration. Also avoids overwhelming the possible new fans audience with walls of Cybetronian of the bat' Correct

'He chose the fastest option' Well I mean he could just ctrl + F 'Matrix of Leadership'. No but really he could try to speed read as best he could. Or like. steal 'em. I mean just look at the state of it. WHY is some chips just stacked besides horizontally stacked datapads (when every other shelf has the vertically placed). No separate holder?? that can clearly indicate what the chips are + what they include neatly?? Alpha Trion weeps from beneath the boulders and its not for his fellow Primes I tell ya'. But yeah if he can be sneak in & sneak out (again hes not dumb dumb just reckless BUT get him locked in and he can totally do it. He didn't cause the intial cave-in after all) he could totally steal a couple pads and have some time to go through (he does it all in times in fanfics!) before getting caught. Actually they (& by extension Senti) probably wouldn't care, its ALL heavily edited and curated after all.

'He could navigate the map' as a miner he definitely needs some good practical skills, navigation being one of 'em. Also like as I far as I saw there were hardly words; just coordinates and stuff (okay i am negative in geography and tech so this section might sound stupid but STILL HEAR ME OUT). They kinda NEED to be number literate but do they really need to be reading?

I have thoughts on TFO caste system (specifically uh how the fuck could it come to be, what exactly are the cogged doing for those not in on it because there were definitely more of those in the know [its not Darkwing], where the fuck are the new cogless coming from, how did a cogless become a DOCTOR FOR COGGEDS???) but wouldn't it make sense for Sentinel to take even their ability to read while he's at it? It's trouble enough to keep the cogged in belief while keeping up the Archive no need for snoopy miners to get a chance to spot any discrepancies.

'Doctor Ratchet' He's usually characterized as an older mech so maybe the earlier cogless gens still could read shrugs. I mean Sentinel could very be going through a learning process lmao a fraction being able to read is probably small fry especially considering the no doubt short lifecycle cogless miners can have. Hell its likely that most of the older gens are kapoosh (possible character motivation for Ratchet to go doctor nyeah? nnyeahh?).

And yeah I fully believe Orion to be more a recent cogless gen. Not NEW NEW and while I hc'ed it is so, he doesn't have to be the youngest. He knows his way through Iacon (from sneaking in to the archives to the hidden pathways), has a sure enough skill and confidence to mining, knows the protocol just doesn't follow it lmao. But he also has the energy to strive for something more, something better. I'm not saying old peeps cant be active but not once does Pax ever seem defeated by the system or relents at ALL, even when it would save his hide. If he WAS an older gen his opposition would be tinged with just a bit spite of exaperation I feel like. Like it would be 'I'm too old for this, they deserve better than this' kind of rebel while movie I see more as 'WE can be more than this, there IS more to US' which I feel like is an energy more to younger gens ya get me?

(ALSO COUGH I KNOW I KNOW ITS A BLUNDER AND COST SAVING BUT! BUT!! D-16 BEING LIKE IDK TIER 6 OR WHATEVER WHEN HE FIRST MET ORION!! IM JUST SAYING HE WOULD JUST BE DUMB AND SAY "WHATS A MINING". NOT EVEN FOR DPAX REASONS HE'S A FANBOYY. A FANBOYYYYY THATS PASTING A WHOLE ASS POSTER WHEN AS A COGLESS MINER HE DOESNT HAVE MUCH!!!!! ON THE ONE AND ONLY BERTH THAT HE EVER COULD HAVE!!THAT MECH IS FUMBLING ALL HIS SOCIAL INTERACTIONS!! ACTUALLY JUST THE FACT THAT HE HAS A WHOLE ASS POSTER OF MEGATRONUS PRIME KINDA INDICATES THAT HE'S PROBABLYY OLDER THAN ORION PAX BY HOWEVER MUCH.EVEN IF NOT ALL COGLESS IMMEDIATELY GO INTO MINING GETTING A POSTER! IS VERY HARD! EVEN FOR PEEPS WITH NON-SLAVE WAGES & HOURS. LIKE ORION PAX IS ALREADY HANDLING EQUIPMENT HE MIGHT NOT HAVE MUCH SHIT FOR HIS SLAB LMAO ALREADY DONE MOVING IN.)

So anyways this was a long way to say that the Autobot government is run by a mech who can't read. OR if the matrix literates the guy well he just made someone who maybbee at best might have some lower grade level reading skill as COMMANDER. AND ALSO HAS TO DEAL WITH A NATIONWIDE LITERACY CRISIS. I guess he could just make a literacy package file and Apple Drop it or some shit lolololol.

On the flipside the Decepticons are lead by someone who can't read and DOESN'T have a deus ex machina to give him literacy sooo. Soundwave is going to be in a loooongggg ride LMAO.

Edit: "I've read all about you [Elite High Guard] in the Archives" OKAY OKAY OKAY I MIGHT BE SPITBALLING BUT MAYBE MAYBEEEE HE STILL MEANT 'went through every audiobook with & without visuals' or like he read all the baby books about the HG. I mean despite them being possibly the second next famous celebrities after the Primes; Sentinel makes sure to AVOID MENTIONING them AT ALL. Iacon 5000 only commemorated the Primes but the HG? Pshawww who gives a shit except that yellow one who's conveniently already in the literal dumps.

Okay but really they were definitelyyy worth a mention. (cough especially since Skyfire exists cough unless this is a TFA sorta instance where it's a completely different fucking mech cough oohh noo guess we will never know unless TF2 happens wink wink winkwonkwiwkhwkiwsjsk)

I've mentioned Sentinel absolutely curating the Archives and I'm just saying maybee out of spite and because unlike the Primes he can totally go with it; the only thing left/accessible about the HG is baby books. I mean sure the only hate we've seen him directly channel is towards the Primes BUT THAT'S IT!! Though he spouts making the truth as he wishes of it he STILL has to praise the Primes and shit even after the Betrayal. Not even he can erase or even twist their influence.

But the HG? Oh maybe he doesn't particularly hate them beyond being a nuisance to his plans but it's still an outlet. Of course he still can't demean even them in any public away but he can certainly diminishes them. Besides it would definitely grind Screamer's gears when he realises his only legacy in Iacon is fucking sparkling stories that still focuses more on the Primes LMAO.

Plus B-127 is DEFINITELY the kind of mech to go crazy about these cool ass warriors from a kids book. I'm not super into infantalizing TFO Bee but he is still a mech of whimsy & fantasy. Also sneeze maybe it was someone's gift to him whether out of mockery or genuine generosity but however it was the stories were the one of the few things if not the only thing that followed him down in the dumpsters. Or salvageable trashed datapads happened to be of the HG greatest stories and shit that too.

(also yes I am a 'B-127 is one of the older generation of cogless if not the first' truther and I will DIE ON THAT HILL)

Oreon Pix also managing to read all the baby stories on the HG can still work; even his entire generation was illiterate he would definitely try his darnedest to read SOMETHING and would at least achieve youngling level lol. I know I know I've been using his case for this entirety but bear with me. Ori is probably self aware of his low skill or at the very least had taken a peek at the datapads and realise he don't understand a goddamn thing (it's the history section). Knowing he don't got much time per intrusion he bit the bullet and risked it with the chips since he was going to get caught at some point might as well have gotten some progress.

[tackytigerfic]

read alan’s our evenings on your recc and loved it. started and finished the whole thing on a 15hr flight and felt so winded by the end ohmygod

Dearest ratty, I meant to reply to this with one of those "top 10 books of 2024" posts but then i realised I'd have to download cover pics and the whole shebang so i said I'd just write it all down.

So glad you loved Our Evenings - Hollinghurst is absolutely categorically one of my favourite authors of all time. I read The Folding Star at 14 and it informed my adolescence so strongly, and eventually brought me to huge introspection and an interrogation of my sexual and gender identity etc. (Fun fact, i met him and told him about reading it and he said, looking concerned, "weren't you a little young to be reading that" lol). Our Evenings, I think, is very different in tone to some of his earlier work - I love the focus on the female characters, the way he writes older women, the way he writes queer identities. It feels almost nostalgic even during the reading, which is odd and unsettling imo, and different to the immediacy of his other work.

It would have been my book of the year if it weren't for the fact that I read Henry Henry by Allen Bratton in 2024 and was FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGED so if you're looking for a rec then jot that down.

And to round out discussion of 2024 with my top 3, I think I'd have to go for Skippy Dies by Paul Murray. May be a cheat as it was a reread for me but i genuinely did not remember a single thing so it was as though I was reading it for the first time. Absolutely compulsively readable, epically whimsical, deeply disturbing, funny as fuck and poignant as hell. Loved it.

Others I read in 2024 (non-exhaustive list, i'm forgetting lots i'm sure): Ordinary Human Failings by Megan Nolan (this was great, much better than her first imo), Perilous Times by Thomas D Lee (i think fandom pals would love this, it was a great read - v funny and dark), Stranger's Child by Hollinghurst (reread, unreal), Pity by Andrew McMillan (really liked though felt it was a little flat - v poignant and delicate and lovely though), 2 x KJ Charles Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen (eh, I'm hit and miss on this author), Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (i thought this was objectionably bad tbh - this doesn't always stop me reading and I did get to the end or v near, but it was def a hate read), Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon (SUPERB, one of those books that's just as good if not better via audio), River Man by RB Croft (not sure what this was tbh i have no memory of it), The Mark and the Void by Paul Murray (my least fave of his but still a banger), Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan (i wanted to love this so badly but I found it muddled and the pacing a bit patchy unforch - when it's good it's good though), Wild Houses by Colin Barrett (this was a DNF though I do hope to go back to it, i think he's a great writer but this didn't quite hit for me at the time), Evenings and Weekends by Oisin McKenna (same), The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden (ummm i thought this was really good in many ways - one of those books i like a lot when i look back on it, the overall tone of the book wasn't what i was expecting but it was really interesting and clever and feelsy, def one i'd rec despite it not being a favourite of me personally, if that makes sense?), She's Always Hungry by Eliza Clark (absolutely magnificent, again i would recommend listening to the audiobook for this one), Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy (DNF, deeply tedious and uninspired imo), Matrix by Lauren Groff (this one was just fine imo), then i did rereads of Maurice by EM Forster, Filthy Animals and Real Life by Brandon Taylor (my beloved, what i would not GIVE to be able to write like him), oh and I read The Pairing by Casey McQuiston (i thought this was fine? liked it more than the other ones, a bit heavy-handed but hey) and Broken Light by Joanne Harris which i thought was rubbish. I can't remember if last year was the year i also reread all the Sally Rooney books too but it might have been. Oh and Sword-Crossed by Freya Marske which alas was a DNF too iirc - this was a miss for me, it felt a tad clumsy and laboured in the world-building imo. But i'm not a romance reader so it's probably me and not the book, her fics are really excellent and she is a good writer.

I did start a goodreads to track my 2025 reading😬 so if anyone's on there and wants to be friends that would be lovely. i can offer a variety of three star reviews and lukewarm takes, none of which hold up to any scrutiny.

Current reads: in book-books I've just started The Diving Pool by Yoko Ogawa. On audible I'm just about to start Deviants by Santanu Bhattacharya (deeply excited). Libby has just offered me Onyx Flame or whatever it's called by Rebecca Yarros, which is weird because i would have thought it would be all booked up. But I might not end up reading it (see above for thoughts on book 1, and i haven't read book 2).

[yuurivoice]

THE big man,, the man who I constantly stalk because I’m thirsty for content, Mr. YuuriVoice,,, I gotta say…you are a master at making stories.

So I gotta ask, what kind of media did (or do) you also stalk/watch and gain your inspiration from?

I gotta know what kinda shit they be feeding you because OH MY LORD you got me tweaking (I’ve watched the most recent Lost & Found episode at least five times this week.)

Aw, thank you so much!

So, I'll try and go by eras of my life because I think they've all played a part in getting me to where I'm at. This is by no means a comprehensive list of all of my key inspirations, but definitely what has touched me and got me to where I am today.

Pre-Teens

A variety of fantasy books I've lost recollection of (RIP)

That one wizard book series I don't talk about anymore

Lord of the Rings via the films (pops insisted I read the Hobbit first, I wasn't into it, I found the writing wasn't really my vibe)

Batman the Animated Series (and various other Saturday morning cartoons tbh)

A variety of male-centric films, the two standouts being Gladiator and Tombstone. Also the Austin Power movies definitely aided my crude humor lmfao.

The Matrix!!!!

Final Fantasy VII, VIII, and IX

Assorted JRPGs, shoutout to the Suikoden I & II remaster I need to get my hands on!

Teens

aka my Hello Japan (and Trauma) era

Evangelion

Outlaw Star

Cowboy Bebop

Basically the entire Toonami block tbh let's be real

Princess Mononoke

Star Wars KOTOR

Kingdom Hearts 1 & 2

Steep decline in reading, save for that Wizard fuck.

Young Adulthood

aka Loveless Marriage + Where Did My Early 20's Go?

Fullmetal Alchemist (OG and Brotherhood)

Dragon Age

Mass Effect

Black Butler

Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core

Dexter (the serial killer, although I fuck with the boy genius as well)

Several years are fuzzy, I couldn't tell you if I digested anything else meaningful or inspirational until...

Adulthood

aka I woke up and started living again, the pre-YuuriVoice era

Game of Thrones

Breaking Bad (and eventually Better Call Saul)

Mob Psycho 100

Berserk

Various Studio Ghibli films

Tarantino movies

?????? similarly fuzzy but more to draw upon

Yuri On Ice

This was a fun exercise, and unfortunately kind of a bummer because I realize how much of my life is tucked behind a veil I've put up. I am certain that there were more core inspirations throughout the years, but I've lost them to the abstract of my mind. There was a shift in my adulthood towards being much more cautious about the media I take in because I was very bitter that I had not begun to create. I'd see something cool that was similar to the dreams I had of worlds I never put to paper and it would hurt me.

Eventually I began to create in earnest and remained cautious because I didn't want to be influenced or driven in one direction or another. So I'm selective about what I take in nowadays, and if it feels a little too close to where I'm going, I pass on it.

I don't know where the desire to preserve my vision and style came from, aside from the insecurity of creative jealousy. Though I think I'm beyond that now, and it's more of a case of me being enamored of the idea of tapping into the well of ideas and stories within me without muddying the waters with outside influence.

Film has been a safe medium, and I believe that reading again will help me unlock things I've kept away from myself for a long time. So that's where I'm at today.

[tila-bean]

Thoughts about the Regret Murals, Solas, the Inquisitor, and their relationship.

So I'm on my first Veilguard playthrough and I have so many feelings after unveiling (hehe) the regret murals in the Lighthouse. SO MANY FEELINGS.

Now, relevant context: It's my first playthrough. Yes, I know I just said that but I need you to understand this: IT'S MY FIRST PLAYTHROUGH. That means I don't know how the rest of the story goes and I don't care to know how it goes from any source that ISN'T the game because I'm avoiding spoilers like Neo dodged bullets on the Matrix. I just really needed to come here to share the full range of feelings I'm feeling. PLEASE DON'T SPOIL ME.

Also, because this is my FIRST PLAYTHROUGH and I don't know how the story goes from here, I might very well change my mind on the thoughts expressed here. I've already been warned that Act 3 will require tissues and perhaps a therapy session. I'm not encouraged by this, but also not surprised. It is a Bioware game after all: they love to destroy us emotionally with their incredible storytelling.

So first of all, the nature of Mythal and Solas's relationship shocked me. We knew from Inquisition that there were some feelings involved, at least from Solas to Mythal, but the depth of them impressed me. In Inquisition, it seemed like a sort of devotion, like a loyal servant's or a good friend's, but wow, it was so much more than that. I know the game tries to make it ambiguous or at the very least leave some amount of interpretation around it (Bellara with her "elves felt very deeply, it didn't have to be romantic", and Taash's "they were doing it!") But to me, it makes more sense to say they were in love. Who becomes flesh against your own judgment just because a friend asked? Who commits the murder of giant magical beings just for a friend? And who seals their old friends, breaking the world in the process, just to avenge another friend? It truly gives the impression that Solas loved Mythal both deeply and desperately, and a small moment tucked in there gave the impression that that love was not only corresponded but that they were even happy together for a while, at least before Mythal left to be part of the Evanuris. I also got the impression Solas loved Mythal more than Mythal loved him, but that could just be because it is his memories we're watching, not hers. From what small bites we get from Morrigan after the fact, making her unable to act against Solas even though both she and Mythal's fragment judge him for his actions, I do think she did. Sadly I can't really quantify how much she did love him and if it was as deep as what Solas felt for her. I do have to mention that I resent Mythal for a variety of reasons and that colors my judgment of her and her actions in all this, although that just might be jealousy speaking. My Dread Wolf! Mine! 😠

The whole Blight revelation was incredible. We knew for years that Mythal and Solas were once close to each other, and there were SO many theories behind Solas being a spirit and/or that other elves used to be spirits too thanks to Cole's dialogue snippets, but to learn that Solas and Mythal were responsible for the creation of the Blight? That they tranquiled the Titans and were the reason why dwarves are the way they are now? That the blight wasn't something that already existed and was found (and blamed on Andruil, usually!) but was the consequence of a desperate act to end a war, which in itself was caused by another fuck up when the elves came to be? Like damn. Really, damn. This memory was the one that shook me the most. And it was this memory that really helped me understand the character of Solas all that much more.

I can't hate him. I completely understand how others could hate him or continue to do so even more than before after learning all of this, but I can't. I just feel this horrible amount of pity for him. He took form under the worst circumstances and made decisions that wildly backfired on him, and I can't blame him for regretting it all and wanting to go back to being a simple spirit. My Inky would understand all of this after learning about it and have this tiny part of her tucked deep inside where, despite knowing how he feels and understanding why he does, shamefully be glad he did take form because she's grateful to have had the chance to meet someone like him.

Now, I can almost hear some of you: "What, she still loves him? After all that??"

YUP.

My Inky is someone who loves deeply. Their time together was short, their relationship even shorter, but it made a tremendous impact on her. To me, she's the type of person to not fall in love easily, but once she does, she's in it. Like really in it.

I didn't think of her as inexperienced (not that that's a bad thing anyway) but she didn't have any meaningful liaisons before the start of DA:I, so her falling for Solas so hard and fast was a very surprising and even terrifying event to her. She was secretly glad he asked for time to think after the Fade kiss, I headcanon, because she was just as confused as him, even if she was the one to take that first step between them. To me, they just clicked together in a way she hadn't ever experienced, and in the time they were together through all of the events of Inquisition, that bond deepened and deepened. She knew she wasn't getting the full picture from him, that there were things he hadn't told her. She patiently waited for him to open up and was devastated when their relationship ended as swiftly as it had started, not knowing even why. She's had a long time to think since then, busy handling the Inquisition through its last years and then later managing the chase to help change his mind. She's had the opportunity to build something new with someone else, but it didn't feel as right as what she had with Solas. And to her that meant it couldn't be as meaningful. Was she right? I don't know, but she chose not to pursue it. That was something she could live with and didn't regret.

I feel like all of these murals would have made Inky feel very similarly to me. She would have understood the man she loved way more than she ever did when he was in front of her, felt horrible for him and his circumstances, but at the same time, she unexpectedly felt something she didn't think she would: she'd feel small.

In the face of his deep love for Mythal and the actions he took for her, she'd feel small. Because here depicted is a man that, when he loved someone, he broke the world for her. And for her? For Inky? He couldn't even be honest, be it with his words or his actions. He never fully opened up to her, and was never fully vulnerable with her, even though she was for him. She'd have these horrible thoughts, after learning about the murals, that would say "You didn't mean anything to him." "You were a distraction, a momentary source of good feelings he hadn't felt for a while, but it was never truly love." "He loved Mythal. See what he did for her? He couldn't even do half of that for you while you were together." And that would break her, at least as much as she allowed herself while managing yet another darkspawn invasion in the South. It would devastate her to see how much of a blip she was in his life when, to her, he was everything. She'd chastise herself, there are more pressing matters to focus on after all, but that doubt, that possibility of being unimportant would catch up to her when she was alone.

Now, is that the truth of the matter? I don't know. I've gotten one, JUST ONE, miserable Solavellan crumb so far in the game (when meeting Inky for the first time in Minrathous) and I'm STARVING for more. Do I love my crumb? HELL YEAH I DO. Do I think it's worth the 10 years I've been waiting for it? No. GIVE ME MORE BIOWARE.

OMG SOLAS DID YOU ACTUALLY LOVE HER. DID YOU LOVE INKY.

Anywho, those are my thoughts so far. DAMN YOU, EGG 🍳

[alexanderwales]

The second chapter of Save the Cat! is about genre, titled "Give me the same thing ... only different!". The general principle is one that I strongly agree with, even if I don't always practice it in my writing: you must know how and why things work in fiction, you must be a student of the realms you're writing in, you must give your own twists on clichés if you think you might be writing them, and must be familiar with clichés so that you don't end up boring people. Study things that are like the thing you're trying to create. Analyze them, take them apart, understand how they work or don't work.

But then a lot of the chapter is taken up with Snyder's own system of ten genres, and when I was reading it I wanted to just stop him and say "hey, what the fuck, did you even watch that movie?"

Also I laughed for like five minutes at him putting Schindler's List in the "Dude with a Problem" genre, even though I agree that according to his typology it completely fits.

I'm a huge fan of making up arbitrary categories and then stuffing things into them. I don't think it's often very useful, no, but it's fun, and when you're done shoving things into boxes, you can pull them back out, find a new set of boxes, and repeat the process. I'm not going to repeat Snyder's categories here, but I think they kind of suck, and don't accurately reflect genre as we understand them, and the whole thing would have been better off is it was taking story archetypes and saying why they work and then what the usual deviations from them were.

Here are two examples that I take issue with, among others. First, by his accounting Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is a "Golden Fleece" movie, the kind of film centered around a hero's journey where what he ends up finding is, ultimately, himself, and every set piece along the way is important only in the way it relates to the hero's self-acceptance or whatever.

No. Wrong. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is very very clearly a "Buddy Love" under this system. Look at this fucking image:

Could this DVD cover make this any more obvious? Literally all the promotional material is like this. It even says in the book that most "Buddy Love" movies start with the "buddies" disliking each other, and that their relationship is central to the movie. And if Snyder is getting this wrong, what else is he getting wrong about his own system?

Example two. I'm just going to quote it in full:

Now look at The Matrix and compare and contrast it with the Disney/Pixar hit Monsters, Inc. Yup. Same movie.

Fucking what do you mean.

Under this system of genres, Monsters, Inc. is very clearly another "Buddy Love" movie. There's a kid they have to deal with, but most of the movie is grounded in the relationship between Mike and Sulley. Like, what's the low point of the whole movie? They get banished to the Himalayas and then have a big fight! It's about their relationship to each other!

(I looked this up on the savethecat website and found an article claiming that it's an example of "Monster in the House", which is fucking stupid, because what's the monster and what's the house? Just does not apply. The child is takes the role of the "monster" for such a small amount of the movie, then they're looking after her and trying to return her home, and even before that it's not relatable as a monster to the audience. Blake Snyder didn't write the article, so maybe he had something different in mind.)

Meanwhile, The Matrix most closely falls into either "Dude with a Problem" (ordinary man thrust into extraordinary circumstances) or "Superhero" (extraordinary man in ordinary circumstances) and I would argue that it's actually neither of those because it's a goddamned hero's journey and those are their own thing and it makes no sense to try to split them into two parts because you don't get more explanatory power of what's working and what's not. His analysis of what he calls "Superhero" films also sucks for that reason and just totally misses the mark about what makes them tick.

So how are these the same movie? I don't know, it probably made sense to Blake Snyder. I have done my due diligence and searched for answers online, but haven't found much, just some weak ass defenses.

Also, I really hated that he says Chinatown and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? are basically the same movie because no shit. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? is a parody of noir, and was adapted from the script for a never-produced third film in what was supposed to be a Chinatown trilogy. But even then, I don't get how you can say they're the same movie without pointing out the strong "Buddy Love" through line in Roger Rabbit!

This whole chapter was a total miss for me. Decent advice at the start that I've been hearing and preaching for a long time, but this typology sucks and he doesn't even seem to understand it (or the movies he's putting in it) very well. And since the typology sucks, it's a bad lens for understanding the underlying rules of writing, of story structure, the components of story, etc.

[gleefullypolin]

My top 10 ships

I haven't done this in forever, and I was bored and didn't feel like working so.....felt like an appropriate thing to do instead.

My top 10 ships!

#1 Polin - Bridgerton

Did you really anticipate anyone else being at my top spot? Friends to lovers....Swoon! They have my heart, soul, and life. I literally love a girl who knows what she wants and a man who loves the fuck out of her like no other so this is like porn and comfort. Give me everything tonight and more!

#2 Captain Swan - OUAT

If you aren't going to give me friends to lovers, I'll move over to Enemies and find my kind because holy hot out of hell, there is nothing better than Captain Hook and his smolder winning over Emma Swan. Fuck that man can burn! Years after that show ended and I can still sit in them and ruminate and catch myself on fire.

#3 Clois - Smallville

There have been a lot of different Lois and Clark's out there, but none have been Erica Durance and Tom Welling. I've never been so happy and angry with a show in all my life. I used to wish so much against Lana Lang that I am embarrassed my own behavior. But I truly loved the banter and way these two brought these characters to live. It was marvelous.

#4 Reylo - Star Wars

Being a Reylo shipper was like being sentenced to death and hell all at the same time for many years. We were bullied, tortured, shat on, and then given everything we wanted in 30 seconds only for them to fucking KILL HIM after a sacrifice. I have never both smiled, cried, and then curled into a ball in a theater so quickly that I wanted to die before. Even my family ridiculed me. It was torture but I still live there. I still ship it and you cannot make me stop!!

#5 Fitzsimmons - Agents of Shield

The brilliant science couple put through so much that even they thought they were cursed. Pushed to find each other across time and space, kidnapped into a matrix, forced to fight one another, half the couple killed, duplicate versions of themselves, but champions of the hug, star crossed and so full of love. Friends to lovers, he fell first, she fell harder and GOD I LOVE THEM YOUR HONOR!

#6 Starpollo - Battlestar Galactica

A couple who knew how to tear out my heart, throw it to the ground, and then trample it with their feet to ashes. While Lee and Kara were not destined to end up together, they damn sure made it hard not to want them to find a way. They truly loved each other more than anyone they were with in the show, but guilt always found a way to fuck that up for them. God it hurt to love you two.

#7 Romanogers - Marvel Universe

Let's talk crack ships because oh how they break your heart. But it is glorious. This one is mine. I will forever love Nat and Steve and I will live in the space and time that they were on the road together living their lives without a banner. Because you can't tell me what they got up to! I refuse to believe you! But let's not talk about how it all ended because my heart still hurts and I don't like to talk about it!

#8 Finchel - Glee

Since I'm already ripping my heart out, let's go all the way with it. Finchel has always been that ship that tears my heart to shreds. I was all in from the characters to the actors and I'll never honestly get over it. I'll probably always bleed Finn and Rachel, Cory and Lea. And I'll never be able to talk about it to normal people. It was something I lived, breathed, and honestly part of me died with. So I think that's enough of that.

#9 Caryl - The Walking Dead

You can call this whatever it is, some say crack ship, I say...otherwise. It's my ship of ships for TWD. It's my coming home ship. Because that's what they are to each other. They are love. No one tell me otherwise, I live there, I love there. So do they. Deal with it.

#10 Roschel - Friends

Look, say what you want, but I stayed home on Thursday nights just to watch whether they would or wouldn't. Nothing grabbed me like these two. They were lobsters, they were on a break, I didn't give a fuck what it was, only that they had me in a chokehold and that's what I realized what shipping was. Because dammit, I wanted whatever feeling it was. And thus the 9 people above because the passion I sought. So bless it, they needed to be here.

And there you have it, my top 10 ships! Hope you enjoyed! Feel free to add your own :)

[misguidedasgardian]

I need to... (4)

... Have fun

MASTERLIST

Summary: Jace says you missed all the fun events for the beginning of the school year, well, except for this one, the annual bonfire and hunt

Pairings: Cregan Stark x Fem!Reader 

Warnings: Mentions of past depression and toxic relationship, cursing, might be underage drinking (depends on the country), eating meat, mentions of an inappropriate relationship, might miss some warnings 

Wordcount: 4,1 k

Notes: DUDESSSS I SAID JACE WAS A VELARYON, BUT IN THIS STORY, HE IS A STRONG, JEJEJE JACAERYS STRONG muahaha, sorry it scaped me…for in this AU, there is no incest no no, (Laenor and Rhaenyra were cousins or sm), anyways, Rhaenyra married Harwin, and had her three beautiful legitimate Strong Boys <3

“I’m Cregan Stark”, he greeted

“Nice to meet you”, you managed to mumble, smiling apologetically

Jace’s roommate didn't change a thing in the dynamic, in fact, he enhanced it, they were even more laughs, more stories, more questions for you, more ribs, more french fries, and more beer, you knew you had BBQ sauce in your face, probably that is the reason he kept looking at you and smiling, but the conversation was so good and funny, you didn't even wanted to get up to go to the bathroom…

You were so comfortable

Until the Tavern closed and you had to go. You hugged everyone else goodbye, you still had the weekend ahead of you and you were looking forward to spending it with them. 

That is when you and Jace decided that you needed to talk….

You had a coffee cup in hand, as you and Jace stood face to face in the gas station (the only thing open at that hour)

“Who wants to start?”, he said, amused

“You start”, you offered

“Well…” he scratch his chin, like some hairs wanted to come out, you giggled, jace always had this baby face but you could tell he was growing out of it quickly, “those were tormentous weeks”

“Tell me”, you encouraged, ready for anything, you had to remind yourself continuously that you were thousands of miles away, they couldn’t… he couldn’t… get to you anymore 

“You know we live in Dragonstone, but as soon as vacations started grandpa wanted us back in King’s Landing, for election week and the holidays, my mom doesn’t like to get photographed with the other party, but we went anyways, and then, we found out”, he started very cryptically 

“What?”, you murmured 

“We didn’t know until I got there, you should had seen Alicent’s face, she looked like she was about to throw up”

“When doesn’t she?”, you snickered

“Aemond at first didn’t want to admit it, as always we asked about you and he didn’t want to answer, and after one week, he even reached out to me and asked me if I knew something about you, and then is when the Lannisters didn’t show… and… the bomb exploded”

“What bomb?”

“That you had ran out on him, with Ben, left him for Winterfell, and you convinced your godmother to go with you”, you opened your mouth wide in rage, “that he didn’t want to admit it, that you two had split, Alicent was so angry and disappointed, specially with the Lannisters, she knows the pull you had on them, Aemond exaggerated the whole thing”

“WHAT?”, you asked, enraged, “the matrix, the glitch and the audacity of that bitch!”

“I know there is something else to it, specially when you sent me that text”, he said, and then he looked at you expectantly

“Jace, Aemond cheated on me, with my plastic arts teacher, he knocked her up and I found out because I saw him fucking her in her desk at school”.

Jace didn’t know if to laugh, cry or throw up, and you could tell by his face

“Are you for real?”, he asked cautiously after a while

“Yes”, you murmured

“Well of course he forgot to mention that, he said that you suffered from some sort of psychotic break and left Dragonstone University with Ben Tallhear”

“Of course he did”, you mocked, sipping on your coffee, he laughed bitterly

“Are they angry about the fact that I left Aemond… or the Lannister part”

“Well, Alicent didn’t say anything in front of us, because she knows we like you, but she used very colorful and disrespectful language when your name came up”, you whined, rubbing your face with your hands, “that you were… easy”

“Of course she did”

“my mom, me and her had a huge fight over it, my mom told her probably Aemond had done something, of course, because you wouldn’t do that”

“Really?”, they defended you, you wanted to cry

“And I also believed that, it was impossible for you to do something like that without reason, and I wanted it to hear that from you, I know how you really are”, he said amicably, “and yes they called Jason and Tyland on hours on end and they couldn’t reach them, it was kind of funny actually”, he laughed, “it works for us the Strongs, and my mother you know she is a liberal…”, he teased, and you smiled

“Well, I’m glad I could be of service”, you mocked 

“Did he really knock her up?”, he asked

“Well, I didn’t see a paternity test”, you offered, throwing your shoulders up, “but the dates match”

“For the gods”, whined Jace, “that is messed up”

“It is”, you sipped on your coffee, “well, not my circus, not my monkeys, at least not anymore”

“You did well in running, and I want you to know, you are still in the Strong’s christmas cards list”, he teased, and laughed

“That is all that matters”, you smiled, but then you looked at his face, the face of the guy who was once your very best friend, and you wanted to cry. Your nose tickled, preventing you for the waterworks, you sniffed

“Hey what’s going on?”, he asked, scared 

“I’m sorry for ghosting you Jace”, you whined, tears in your eyes, he only shook his head and grabbed your hand in his, “I can’t say I regret the whole thing with Aemond, but that certainly I regret, you were my best friend”

“I was very angry at first, but then I could tell something else was going on, I sorry I didn’t try harder to stay”, you only shook your head, and whipped a tear from your face

“It's easy for me to say it now that I messed up and everything went to shit you know?”, you cried, “but I thought about you every day, and I missed you terribly”

“I missed you too”, he said softly, “it didn’t help that we moved to Harrenhal with my mother, but no more, right? you are here now, I’m here now, that what matters”, he said with a bright smile, “right?”

“Right”, you said back, regaining your smile

“Do you want me to put laxatives in Aemond’s food? like we did with Aegon in the Red Keep’s annual labor day party?”, you snorted a laugh

“Gods we were a menace”, you laughed

“Remember when they send us together to the therapist?”

“Yes and we made the therapist need therapy”, you laughed back

“Well, that was not our fault, you know what they say, in a blacksmith’s house, a wooden knife”, you laughed even harder 

You shared smiles and meaningful looks 

He walked you back to your dorm and he kept telling you about all the great things Winterfell had to offer

“What do you think about Sara?”, he asked, and you smiled

“She is great”, you said, “what do you think about Sara?”, you teased back, he blushed

“She is amazing, I like her a lot”, he said, “but… she is the younger sister of my very good friend and roommate, you know?”, he asked, “if I take a shot, I can’t miss”, he said

“You know is love when you start to sound like a sniper”, you laughed 

. . .

You love it here

It had been a week and nobody had asked you what your family did for a living, nobody had judged you for bringing the same backpack for class all week, people here were different, lighter, nicer to be around. 

Your classes were incredible even if you were deferred from the original course, and people there actually wanted to be teamed up with you, they were curious and open minded.

“Its a college for hippies and alternatives”

Again that annoying voice

But you also felt different, you were relaxed, open for good things to happen to you, and people here seemed to know this, you stopped trying so hard, and it came naturally 

Jace had promised you in the spring was much nicer, now you couldn’t really enjoy the beautiful parks all around and inside the campus, but you just got happy by being in the roofed patios of the magnificent castle 

You were waiting for your friends to finish their classes in the cafeteria, and you jumped when your phone rang in your pocket, you grabbed it and when you saw the screen it showed a really strange number, and you just didn’t pick up, you weren’t in the mood for a telemarketer, or to change your phone plan 

“There you are!”, Sara greeted you, you smiled back

“Hey”, you greeted with a wide smile 

“Do you have plans for the weekend?”, she asked, she always seemed like she was running a 100 miles per hour, “because there is this thing…”, you were interrupted when a commotion was being made in the entrance to the big hall, people were howling, guys, men, or that is what it seemed, entered the cafeteria running, and howling, many of them were wearing wolf masks. People started cheering and laughing, applauding, some of the guys got atop the tables and howled, they were like thirty. One of them, and one joined them, jumped in front of you in one of the large communal tables 

“Wolves! wolves! wolves!”, even Sara started cheering and you did as well

“Bonfire!, Bonfire!, Bonfire!”, they started chanting. And they, when the show was over, guys howled one more time and then, they got off the tables and merged all over the people there, like nothing had happened, you and Sara looked at the two persons that got close, and then they took of their masks, it was Jace, and Cregan.

“Well, like I was saying”, continued Sara, “this weekend is Bonfire weekend, and if you have no other plans…”

“Oh, no no, your presence is mandatory I’m afraid”, chuckled Jace

“You heard him”, giggled Sara

“Bonfire then?”, you asked, Cregan was looking at you.

“We are celebrating the end of winter”, Cregan said with a smirk, “is a tradition from a thousand years ago, when they say winters lasted years, and when it showed signs the winter was yielding, they celebrated with huge bonfires, hoping to draw the old gods of winter away”

“That is beautiful”, you whispered

“Anyways, but the big bonfire goes after”, said Jace

“After what?”

“The hunt”, said Jace with a wide smile

“Like… with guns?”, Sara barked out a laugh

“No!”, she laughed, “It's about chasing people in the woods”, teased Sara

“That sounds creepy”, you whined 

“Well at first it was about boys chasing girls”, said Cregan, “then it was girls chasing boys”

“And now?”, you asked

“We are still debating”, he teased and you smiled 

“Anyways, the hunt starts when the sun sets, and then after a few hours of harmless fun in the woods, we come back to campus to enjoy the bonfire, a couple of kegs, vegetarian barbeque, carnivore barbecue, a small get together with the entire campus”, muttered Jace

“I love that”, you smiled

“Anyways, you missed homecoming week, but this is spirit week, and it awesome”, said Jace

“You freshmen know more of the school than I do”, laughed Cregan

“And what activities await us in spirit week?”, you asked, very entertained 

“You get teamed by career”, started Sara, “there is the language department, the law and politics department, the engineering school, the faculty of art, design and architecture, and the scientists, and you compete with each other, everyone on different teams…”

“That sounds cool”, you offered

“The engineers always wins”, muttered Jace, “in most of the competitions anyways”

“And that is next week”, you said

“YES!”, Cheered Sara, your smile was huge, bright and you were so excited, your phone dinged and when you looked at it, you realized you had been added to a huge group chat, of the ADA Faculty

“Ohhh, it started!”, teased Jace and you hid your phone playfully from him

“You go to your own department”, you mocked. Jace was studying public administrations, Cregan was in Business, in the same department.

“How fuuunnnn!”, Sara was as excited as you were, she was an Valyrian Lit mayor, yet another department

Rhaena and Baela entered the Hall, Rhaena was with you in the ADA, but Baela was  in Law

You grabbed Rhaena as she was excited as you

“Teammate!”, you cheered, and you jumped together in fun 

“It’s like a cheerleader on crack”, said Jace

And you felt like you were on crack, I mean, you had never done crack, but you felt ecstatic all the time 

You grabbed Rhaena, forgetting lunch and you trotted outside the hall in the way to the ADA Department building, leaving all of them behind looking at you both walking away with amused glances on their faces 

Specially Cregan, he then looked back at his group of friends with a smile on his face, Jace frowned when he saw him

“Hey”

“What?”, he looked back to catch a last glance of you before you disappeared on the hallway, “she is sweet”, he whispered 

You loved your design career

You had a meeting with the department for spirit week and you had already your shirts made, banners and a plan to win the activities 

And when the sun started setting, you were called in the main park of the college

With all the rest of the Universities

The wolf masks were back on, people were in High spirits, and soon it was even more contagious as you even felt more ecstatic 

“This is officially the beginning for Spirit week!”, said out loud the presenter, that you guessed was a senior, he was a student. Everyone clapped and cheered, “And we have decided that the hunters for this year's hunt will be… all those who identify as girls!”, you cheered, “and the wolfs will be all those who identifies as boys”

Everyone cheered

. . .

“Damn you look good in this colors”, teased Rhaena as she applied “battle paint” in your face, gray lines in different designs all over your face, you giggled

“Gray is a very flattering color, we all look amazing”, you muttered as you finished braiding Sara’s hair

It was like a pagan tradition and you were here for it and to look for the part, so you and the girls decided to meet in the dorm’s huge bathroom to prepare for the hunt, painting your faces, doing crazy and wild hair do’s to each other, you were having so much fun 

After you finished your makeup, you met at the starting line, the sun was about to set, and wood for the huge bonfire was being gathered in the park surrounding the University, in a big valley.

The guys were all gathered in the other side, and they were howling, all with masks, it was hilarious 

“The wolves will start running, and the hunters will follow, five minutes later!”, called a guy with a megaphone

You started chatting with the girls, the school was huge it had many students, and you had gathered a great number

You thought about Jace though, and what he was wearing, this seemed like a cool activity, but you’d rather go and search for someone you knew… flannel shirt and jeans? you believed, with a graphic t-shirt underneath… 

A horn like sound reached the entire valley, and with howls and laughs the great group of people disappeared into the woods, as the sun was hiding

“Remember to stay within the range, and if you get lost just blow a whistle!”, you turned to the girls

“So which strategy are we going with?”

To catch them all, you had to grab the wolf’s ribbon they had around their waist, that is how you hunt them, the one hunter who got most ribbons won a price, probably a six pack of beer or something, nothing mayor

But the girls and you had gossiped all afternoon about which “ribbon” they would like to catch, and who it belonged to

You didn’t even looked at guys’ faces, not yet anyways 

So since Sara hasn't say anything about Jace, you determined you were going to search for your best friend

“Divide and conquer” said Sara with a wide grin

“Divide and conquer”

Were you scared to get lost in the woods? Yes

Did you want to say so? Hell no

This tradition had been going on for years, and nothing ever happened, so you tried to relax, it wasn’t even that dark, even though it was quite early 

“Alright! let’s start this!”, chanted the presenter, “remember you have one hour!”, the horn sounded again and you started running g

it was true what they said about the thrill of the hunt

You felt exhilarating

And as you ran dodging the trees and branches like you were born in those woods, like you knew them by heart, you ran as you felt the chilly air clinging to your clothes and face, and you loved it

You could see your breath ahead of you, it was chilly, winter was clinging on 

You felt like one with the woods as you looked around 

And then, from afar, you saw Jace, or someone who looks like him anyways, and you couldn’t even hold a giggle, and you prepared to pounce, as you approached him quickly and silently

“GOT YOU!”, you announced and you jumped him, literally got over a fallen tree and jumped on top of him, clinging into him like a koala, you searched but his ribbon and removed it, not before feeling his… strange body… not like Jace at all 

As soon as your face landed on his neck, you realized something…

It wasn’t Jace

You released the poor guy from your embrace

He turned around, removing his mask, and you realized, with a comical open mouth, that is was Cregan Stark

“Hey”, you greeted, he smiled down at you, as he was taller than you

“That was interesting”, he whispered with a smirk on his face, and a glint of mischief in his eyes 

“Sorry about that”, you giggled, “for… attacking you… I thought you were Jace”

“Is more than alright”, there was something about him, you couldn’t quite pinpoint it, but there it was was, you immediately trusted him, because he was Jacey’s roommate and friend, so it meant he was also your friend by default, so you just smiled apologetically to him

“Let’s join in the party”, he said with a wolfish grin, you smiled widely, “the hour is almost up”

“Let’s do it”, you giggled, “I hope you know this woods more than me because otherwise…”, he laughed

“Yes I do”

You walked side by side through the woods

“Its unusual for people to change schools mid-semester”, he started, you smiled shyly

“Well… I didn't want to stay where I was”, you said shyly, “my dream was always coming here, are you from here? from the North?”, you asked, and he seemed surprised by your question, he looked back at you with interest in his eyes, and then chuckled

“Yes, Yes I’m from around here”, he said

The music could already be heard, a band was playing live, you could already see the magnificent glow of the huge bonfire, and Cregan saw your excitement with a smile of his own, when you came out of the woods you went to the organizers who were waiting for the hunters and the wolves, to make sure everybody came back safely.

With a grin you gave him the ribbon and they marked you up 

With surprise, you’d realize you were one of the last couples, time had flown, and you felt even more exhilarated. You wanted to join the party that was unleashing in the valley, people were already dancing, having fun, the kegs already were out, snacks too. You looked back at Cregan with a smile

“It was a pleasure hunting you Cregan Stark”, you teased

“Well, it was a pleasure being hunted by you”, he said back, his gaze lingered, but you looked away, and then you spotted Rhaena and Baela dancing in the ground, their beautiful hair hard to miss

“They are here!”, you cheered, and you both followed to join the party

The band apparently was from a group of kids of the music program, and they sang rock songs

“You are heeeere”, Bhaela teased, “and with Creeeegan”, she wiggled her eyebrows at you and you just laughed, “mmmmm”

Nothing happened, and then you looked at Sara and she was looking back at you with an arched eyebrow and a smirk, she looked like her brother so much

“Here”, Cregan arrived next to you and offered you a red cup with ale in it

“Thanks”, you took a sip and couldn’t help but moan, it was refreshing, Jace arrived with more beer and smiled widely

“I got to say I truly believe you were going to get lost”, he laughed 

“Well, I was lucky to tackle poor Cregan here thinking it was you!”, you laughed 

Jace looked at Cregan but said nothing, Sara grabbed you for you to start jumping and dancing at the beat of the song. The brand started playing more popular songs, songs you could sing and dance to. You enjoyed the music in a the group that your friends joined, and more people you haven't seen before 

But when you realized you were dancing too close to Cregan and he turned to you to dance with you, your stomach sank.

You felt nervous, in a way that you didn't like, you felt again that need, that pressure to make a good impression, to not do something foolish, feelings that constipated you, that binded you not to move, not to speak, so before he came closer you turned and kept dancing with the girls

You weren’t ready

Cregan seemed like a good guy

But the wounds were still fresh

The music was blazing, the beer was flowing, the warmth of the bonfire was heating your cheeks, and you danced with your new friends all night. 

And you got… HAMMERED 

Very wasted, you still had control over your actions, but you giggled uncontrollably and hugged Sara who was just as drunk as you were.

Hours had passed, it was over midnight and the party had died down, the bonfire had extinguished and the band had stopped playing.

Jace and Cregan led you back to their place, your dorm had a big and strict policy regarding drunkenness and poor behavior, and they were as drunk as you, and didn’t think things more clearly, their apartment was closest. 

So they took you both to their student building of apartments, 

Cregan helped the two of you get in his bed, the queen bed in one of the rooms, and you cuddled with Sara on the bed under Cregan’s sweet eyes. He left you when you fell asleep, and Cregan went to Jace’s room 

“Our girls invaded my room”, said Cregan with an entertained smile, “so move”

Cregan laid down right next to Jace, and both looked at the ceiling in silence, until Jace frowned

“Our girls?”, he asked, looking at his friend, and he sighed, “what do you mean?”

“Well, she is your best friend, and Sara is my sister, right?”, he said dismissively

 “Cregan… please don’t fuck my friend”, pleaded Jacaerys, “she is been trough enough already…I don’t think she is ready…”

“Oh Jacey, I’m not going to fuck her”, Jace relaxed for a second before he frowned, “first I’m going to date her”, he continued, “then I will ask her to be my girlfriend, then I’m going to make sweet love to her”

Jace sighed, rolling his eyes

“Come on”, he whined

“I’m teasing”, he said softly, “she is going through something, I can see it”, he said looking for imaginary shapes in the ceiling paint, “but I can wait, I want to get to know her”

One day, when you were walking by the oldest wing, the department of Laws and Politics, you stopped suddenly when you saw a huge copper plate by the entrance, curious about what it dais, your faculty was more modern than the rest, more new, so you were truly interested in the history of this campus and town 

“The Stark building, in honor of House Stark, who donated their family estate for the higher purpose of education and development of the children of the North, 1600 AC”, you read, and then you looked up with shame.

More than 400 years ago…

Stark

Oh so he really was from around here, you giggled to yourself 

More notes: I clearly been watching too many american movies JAJA, obviously this is fanfiction in all its glory, Universities where I’m from are bored as f*ck, so I decided to put some color jajaja

This chapter came up weird, Cregan is already smitten and reader is not quite convinced 

I again say that I was not completely sure to share this, I don't why, but I wanted to show reader in a different environment, she is getting to know everyone and that Cregan is already like that wolf cartoon with the big eyes... anyways... next chapter we are back to the drama! wuju

taglist!!

@mxtokko @princesssterek @thefandomimagines @iamavailablesstuff @misspascalpunk @sweethoneyblossom1 @ipostwhtifeel @lunamoonbby @ahristata @watercolorskyy @yazzzmints @n4tforlife @littleshadow17 @alexa4040 @speedyballoonpainter @hc-geralt-23 @rayrayredpanda @eralen

[quetzalpapalotl]

Darlings, let's do this again, properly this time. Less you forget what I'm about

Do you vote for the one you like best or the one you hate most? Yes

Propaganda under the cut, provided by your local bastard politician fanatic

Nova Prime: Served under Prima as Nova Major. The only one in this list that held the real Matrix, but he didn't become Prime because of it, he became the leader of Cybertron when he united it after the 13 Primes break up during the First Civil War (not to be confused with the Autobot-Decepticon Civil War). His reign was supposedly the most prosperous but it had all the seeds that would later make Cybertron get worse. He actually had a hand in ruling and did things like gettting the Cold Contruction program going. He fucked off to do expansionism and went MIA, returned 6.2 million years later to try to merge this universe and the evil universe he got sucked in. Is defeated but comes back again some years later and is stopped again.

Nominus Prime: He somehow became Prime after Nova dissapeared around the same time the Functionist Council was established. Notorious bigot whose reign was characterized by social disparity. However by the time of Chaos Theory he's more of a figurehead with the Senate being the ones that really do the ruling, but before that, it's said that it was the Coucil who called the shots, so for good or bad, I don't know what this dude ever actually did besides looking pretty. His contribution to the narrative is to be put in a coma and then dying, he has no spoken lines. His own Senators sent an attack on him to try to get to his matrix and dispose of him to put their own puppet Prime when they figured the thing was fake. In the alt timeline, the is the Council that kills him alonside the rest of the Senate. This guy just doesn't seem to have anyone on his team. But hey, he actually stays dead. Doesn't have any good shots in the comic so I had to use his reference sheet for this poll.

Sentinel Prime: The aforementioned puppet Prime that Proteus put on the job after killing Nominus. Also doesn't seem to do any legislation, but he does lead the Cybertronian Security forces, so that's something. Got Orion's boyfriend empurated and shadowplayed. The Council lost even more influence during his time. Megatron kills his whole senate and then him. He didn't really die and was wearing a suit the whole time, because he's really a servant of Onyx Prime that was waiting for his return. So it's revealed in an executived mandated-event in a plotline that you could erase and wouldn't really change the overall plot, but it allowed us to learn that he things romance is for people who are deranged.

Zeta Prime: Was friends with Shockwave who tought him such a trustworthy guy he left his boyfriend in Zeta's care. When Orion was this close to turning against the establisment, Zeta somehow becomes Prime after Megatron "kills" Sentinel and gets Orion to stay on his side only to constantly manipulate him and use him for propaganda. Pretends to be all cool and progressive and did technically do away with official functionism, but didn't fix Cybertron's inequality and secretly brainwashes people and other nasty stuff, but he is rulling. When he couldn't deal with the Decepticons he lost it and became worse until Orion got fed up and joined Megatron in killing him. Also actually stays dead. Pretty sure he only exists bc they killed Sentinel too early in the timeline. I have to constantly remind people who he is because they forget about him or get him confused with Sentinel.

[ori-anna-v-58008]

Rampart Reengaging

[ATTEMPTING TO REESTABLISH COMMUNICATION WITH PILOT…]

"What do you mean attempting?"

"It's not easy to wake these things back up without proper software, give it a bit."

"You're hopeless. Give me one good reason to ever let you work on her again."

"Sure thing. I'm the only one willing to do your dirty work. That suffice?"

"Shut up and work. We still need this one."

"Yeah? Who's we? Last I checked, your little pet project wasn't exactly popular with Command."

"…Maybe they've taken a shining to it."

"I doubt it. How many millions did this thing cost them?"

"The cost that she incurs is ultimately of no consequence. She gets results."

[COMMUNICATION SUCCESSFUL. PILOT ONLINE.]

"Hah. Whatever you say, [REDACTED]."

"Wait. It's working again?"

"Seems that way. Welcome back, Rampart."

The first thing you heard outside the vast emptiness that had taken over your universe was the telltale sound of Handler's knuckles smacking clean across someone's face. You flinched on instinct.

"Don't call it that."

[WARNING: VISUALS NONFUNCTIONAL.] [WARNING: SPEECH MODULE NONFUNCTIONAL.] [WARNING: PERSONALITY MATRIX MALFUNCTION DETECTED. SEE NODE MARKED "LOUD NOISES".]

"God, you do not make yourself pleasant to work with, do you? Let me see if I can fix that error…"

"No! It needs that. That PM is loaded with responses like that, and it needs every one of them."

"I'm sure traumatized kamikaze pilots are so much better at crashing than ones that aren't."

"She doesn't run. She slams her eyes shut and the thrusters on. Jumping at loud noises makes her destroy them faster. They put those responses in them for a reason.

[PILOT INPUT: "Handler? Is that you?"]

You liked getting to hear Handler's voice again. You weren't sure where your own went, or if Handler had any means of understanding you at all. It was humiliating and frustrating to not be able to use your voice. You weren't entirely sure what you did to deserve having it taken away. In spite of this, you accepted it instantly.

"Give me a summary of the most recent memories you have on file." You giggled, even if no sound came out.

[PILOT INPUT: ""The Pilot of the Rampart was successful in defeating an overwhelming opponent". That's all I have."]

"Correct. Good girl."

[ADMINISTERING REWARD…] You couldn't feel your face enough to know what expression you made, but you knew you couldn't control it.

"You call that a summary? Shit was literally a single sentence." You didn't like this other voice. Handler's silence made you wince as much as the smack sound you heard earlier.

"Do you believe our enemies survived that explosion?" You heard drops of tension in her voice like slipping a poison into tea.

"No."

"Do you believe any other witnesses exist?"

"Your extreme interest in friendly fire makes it seem unlikely."

"So this is the only account of the assault that exists. It contains all relevant information, does it not?"

"You must think command is so fucking stupid, [REDACTED], If you think they're just gonna throw their hands up about [REDACTED] pilots and [REDACTED] dollars getting smashed to bits--"

Your hands clenched around imaginary triggers when you heard the gunshot. Your audio processor was able to filter out most of the mechanic's screaming, but it was imperfect - you heard her loud, sharp inhales before she wailed again and again.

"S[]t []p or th[] nex[] one []oes through your head." Handler's voice was caught up in the screaming and got glitchy. The mechanic was reduced to hurried breathing. You clung onto every sound you could from her lips, knowing she would do anything and everything if it meant keeping you safe.

--

This story is part of a series. To read the beginning, please click here.

[aphroditesmoon]

Gwen x Gen neutral (fem) reader?? 👉👈 where reader is also a spider-person and Miguel introduces them to the others and it's basically like a love in first sight thing? maybe? reader's spider powers is up to you of course!! ^^

mirrored hearts

gwen stacy x afab!reader(gn)

summary: gwen has never met anyone like you before.

warnings: cursing, miguel being tired, made up multiverse(?), reader is inspired by trinity from the matrix.

a/n: such a cute req, hope this is to your liking!!

°°°°

WHEN MIGUEL O'HARA first met you, he saw in your eyes the kind of look he once had. An unbridled rage, towards the world, or towards yourself, he couldn't tell. But he did know that the anger, if untrained, could destroy you.

It is the year 80077, an anomaly has been seen in your universe, an additional problem to your already dangerous world. Spot, as you've identified, is not human, at least not anymore. Living in a world ruled by artifical intelligence with only 0.8% of trueborn humans existing, you aren't exactly bothered anymore with non human villains.

But 4 years since you became the remaiming human population's Spider-droid, you've yet to be met with one like him.

You would've caught him, of course, if you weren't distracted by a random multiverse hooe opening itself up in the middle of the underground wiring lab. The stupidly large looking spider-man did not hesitate to fling a badly designed watch towards you after a 15 minutes argument between the two of you gave Spot time to enter another spiderverse.

You would've flung the watch back at his face out of spite if you weren't curious to know where the road might lead you.

"That rebellious streak you have is going to end up costing you your life, you know?" The spider-man tells you after you're done insulting and cursing his whole family line. "I should hope so, because the only way I'll go down is with my head up high."

He rolls his eyes, muttering a 'cliche ass' under his breath before the two of you appear in the large headquarters.

You ignore the rapid spider-people around you, not wanting to betray your awe in front of Miguel. When another door opens for him, a much quieter space reveals itself to you.

"I don't like half of people we're about to meet either but I'll expect you to refrain insulting any of them in more than two languages, the only reason we're all here us because the fate of the mul-" "-multiverse depends on us, yeah I got that in the first 10 speeches you manage to give on our 1 minutes ride." You're pleased with the tired sigh leaving him.

You could see a few teenagers hanging around Miguel's desk, but what caught your attention was the dark skinned pregnant women making her way straight to him. "You should've called for backup." Her voice booms as she nears you both.

"Didn't need to, I had her." He says simply, nudging his head towards you before flinging himself upwards to his table. "Who the fuck opened dress up games on my tab?" You hear him yell, eyes directly at a man with a baby strapped to his chest.

You take a quick look at all of them before zeroing down on the girl, your eyes connected, and you sensed she was either uncomfortable or afraid of how your eyes are squinting on her. "Spider-droid, is what most people call me." You say, eyes still directly on her. "Droid? As in robots?" The big eyed looking teenager next to her asks.

"-And, who is she exactly?" The afro haired women ask, eyeing you up and down. A small crowd then began to form in front of you, Miguel then, finally has the curtesy to come back down in between you and the spider-people. "A spider-person. He responds with a sarcastic air in his tone, making the blonde with pink strands scoff aloud.

"Do you like, fight robots?" Miguel snorts at him, and you glared at Miguel. "Depends, most of my populations are robots, rather than trueborn humans."

The blonde opens her mouth to ask a question you already knew coming, you cut her off before she speaks. "I would be considered, a full human, if it werent for-" You wave your steel made left arm up, flexing the fingers, earning a few gasps and hums of understanding. "-this."

The silence came then, even Miguel seemed to be suprised, not taking notice of your arm before. "I-" She starts. You raise your brows at her. "I'm Gwen." You laughed, a short but unhelpable laugh. "Nice to meet you, Gwen." That has seemsed to snap Miguel out of his subconscious. It seems that man is allergic to social interaction that is anything but necessary.

"We can't let you go back for a while, I'll have your unierse supervised for any signs of Spot returning, but I have a feeling I know where he's going next, and I want you in." Your eyes snap at him and he gives you a look that challenged you to deny him. So you say nothing.

"Good. Penni, I want you to show her to the weaponary room, see if she can attach anything to that steel arm of hers, it'd be useful." Penni, who you just noticed exist, smiled widely, and you notice her gigantic robot-pet looking friend.

Before eitner of you moved, Gwen speaks up. "I can take her, I-uh, I need a new...new-uh, gun?" Miguel's eyes widen as he asks, "New gun? You need a new gun?" His voice in utter disbelief. "For backup, its handy-" She defends himself, resulting in him just waving her off, eyes shut in frustration. "Oh for fu- fine, whatever." He leaves in a split second away from you all.

Gwen and you watched him fly himself up his table before finally looking back at eachother. She's staring at you the same way as before, mouth open, confused.

You raised a brow in question and she just looks more confused. "Gwen." You speak. "Yeah?" "Will you take me to the weaponry room now, I don't bite, I promise."

Her mouth shuts close, and she lets out a wide eyed nervous laugh, shaking her head. "Right, the weaponry! I definitely um, remember, where it is!" She says, moving to walk in front of you as you follow her steps closely.

Your pace quickens until you're next to her, you notice she seema more relaxed than a minute ago. You were used to fear, and cautionary. You were raised by those standards. When your parents had died of mercury poisoning, you've taken their place in a fast succeeding company of scientific research at the age of 15, only a spider-droid for a year before the occurance.

All the tragedies that has happened to you, all to lead you here, in a building full of people who are just like you, yet nothing like you. When Miguel had told you of this, you almost tamed some hope of finding kindred spirits, but time and time again, you fall back into the hands of fear, and cautionary.

"We're here." She squeaked, making you flinch out if your daydream. "You gonna get your gun?" You ask jokingly. Gwen lets out a short laugh. "No, I don't think so. But um, I'll show you in." She offers, walking you in the guns and shooters section, the bulletproof suit vests' right next to it.

"I already have lasers, I don't think I'll be needing a gun either, or anything Miguel thinks can make me better." You explain, looking around the room. You see Gwen nods her head, eyeing your arm. "Well, If you want to take a shower instead, you can use a room im staying in here. How do you shower with that?" She asks. You give her a small smile, putting down a revolver you've been holding, back down to its place before turning to leave the room. "I take it off."

She was silent for a while, until you hear her mumble "Goddamn." As she walks behind you.